Aquatic signboard



May l0 1927.

J. E. CRAMER AQUATIC SIGNBOARD Filed Dec. 17. 1925 IN V EN TOR.

u @faim fici-amen BY?. l ATTORNEYS.

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Patente-d May 10, 1927.

UTE STATES JOHN EcHoLs CRAMER, or CARROLLTON, esonera.

AQUATIC .SIGrN'BOi/alell).r

Application led December This invention relates tosigns and particularly to the display of signs on the surface of the water and has for its object the display of a sign above the surface of water, preferably running water.

Another object of the invention is to anchor the sign in the water in such a way that it makes the best display and looks most attractive when viewed by persons in front of the sign.

lith these and other objects in view the nature of which will be disclosed as the description proceeds, I will now describe my invention in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the sign; and,

Fig. 2 is a viewof a modifica-tion.

A is the sign board which may be of one wide'. board or of several separate boards joined together in any convenient way. Fastened to the lower end of the sign A is a ioat B preferably extending from one side to the other of the sign A and this float must have sufficient buoyancy when resting on the water to support the sign board A sufliciently high above the water so that no part of the inscriptions or pictures on the sign board will pass below the water.

kC is an anchor preferably of concrete, though it may be iron, or a box 0f sand or rock varying in size according to needs, and arranged up-stream or down-stream relative to the sign board A, if the sign is in running water. In the anchor C, I place fasteners D which may conveniently be in the .form of staples attached to the anchor C as clearly shown in Figure 1.

E is a wire or rod attached at its outer ,ends l) to the sign board and at its middle portion to staples or fasteners D. This rod may be iiexible, but I preferably make it rigid to hold the top ofthe sign board A in an' upright position as clearly indicated in Fig. l. As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings the wire E forms three sides of a quadrilateral while the sign A forms the fourth side. Obviously the staples D hingedly holding on-e side of the quadrilateral will tend to hold' the sign from sidewise movement but allow up and down movement of the sign caused by the waves or swells of the water.

The anchor C may extend into the earth at the bottom of the stream so as to prevent it from turning in any way and thus allowing of one form 17, 1925. Serial No. 75,084.

the'sign boardY to become displaced, and I preferably connect Athe bottom of the sign board to the anchor C by rigid rods F. i

This arrangement of the sign board with stiff rods E and F holding respectively the top and bottom of the sign board causes a peculiar and pleasing up and down motion of the sign board as waves or swells in the .vater change the position of the sign board, especially if the water is running water, and produces a pleasing effect when viewed from in front of the sign board. It may be advantageous in some cases to add sufficientl weight to the bottom of the sign board to normally maintain it in its upright position. The sign board, as a whole, including the attached float B, is inexpensive to produce, but when suitably located, for example, near a roadside or bridge, or in any body of water nea-r any avenue of travel, it produces a most pleasing and attractive advertising sign.

In Figure 2, I have shown a modification in which the float B is on the other side of the sign board from what is shown in Fig. l. In this modification the float and sign board should be so proportioned that the top of the float will be practically on a level with the surface of the water. The rod E attached to the sign board at o and the chain F and anchor C are similar in construction and operation to the corresponding parts of Fig. l.

The rods E or E when the sign is properly located will be practically invisible and of course the anchors C and chain F being below thesurface of the water will also be invisible as will most of the float B or B and as the sign is raised and lowered by waves or swells or the running of thewater, the peculiar motion given to it by the stilf rod attached to the upper part and the rigid rod or iiexible chain attached to the lower part, produces a peculiar and attractive motion to the sign.

IVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A sign board adapted to receive inscriptions or pictures on its surface, a iioat attached to the sign board at its lower portion to maintain part of the sign board sui'iiciently high above the supporting water to render the inscriptions or pictures visible. an anchor and a rod hingedly connecting the top of the sign board with the anchor, the hinged portion extending horizontally across the top of the anchor so as to hold the sign Cil boord to o vertical movement, 11nd o second connection between the bottom ot' the sign boord 11nd. the anchor :iii :1111f1ng'o1i to innintain `the sign board in upright position.

An aquatic sign boord adopted to iis pio),7 o eign above the surface ot water C0111- prising :111 upright sign boord with 11 :floot to S11 pport 1111111 oi" it above the surinee ot' the water, 11n anchor below the Surface ot' the water :1nd 11 one-piece rod with its middle portion extending' horizontally morose the top ot the anchor 11nd horizontally attached to the anchor :1nd ite end portions attached to the upper port o the Sign board, :1nd 11 flexible connection below the water and betni'een the 111101101' :1nd the bottoni of the sign board whereby the sign boord is held to :1 vertical movement :1nd restrained from sidewise movement.

In testimony whereof I afl-1X my signature.

JOI-IN ECHOLS CRAMER. 

